In that moment, I knew what to do—sat in front of my computer exactly twenty-four hours before my flight was scheduled, got ready to enter my booking number, and pressed the button. Expecting my boarding pass to indicate an A or B boarding group, instead, I’d been assigned to the very back, row 29. Most likely, you know I’m talking about Southwest, the budget airline we’ve come to love for its one bag free rule, lower-cost flights, and even for its dry peanuts. But what was this aberration? Groups have been replaced by numbers. I was assigned to Group 5 because I’d bought a Basic fare. The attendant explained the particulars. No more standing in line holding a pass with an assigned boarding number and maneuvering into my proper waiting spot, which sometimes sparked conversations, talking about books, the weather, or a box of donuts. I now had the privilege of standing in line with a number. No more free bags or giving up seats as a friendly gesture if a family wanted to sit together on the plane. Flying on Southwest suddenly seemed as cheerless as the other carriers. The attendant on my flight rattled off at breakneck speed all the usual instructions about seatbelts and oxygen masks. The attendants used to make great jokes laughing at themselves. Now they sound like everyone else. Laughter never cost us anything, now even that has flown out the window.